The Pros & Cons of Drinking Coffee

Ooooh coffee…one of the world’s most powerful substances. Coffee is definitely a money makerall around the world. In fact, much of the coffee in the U.S. is imported from countries like Brazil, Columbia, parts of Africa and Asia. For so many people, coffee is their morning perk or even their extreme addiction! There has been debate over whether drinking coffee is good or just plain bad for you. Surprisingly, it’s actually a little bit of both! Like many things in life, coffee has great benefits and some not so great side effects.

Drinking Coffee – The Good:

1. May help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Some research suggests that it’s the antioxidants that may be so helpful.

2. Benefits brain cells. Coffee could be a great booster, not just for your mood, but for brain cells as well.

3. Your liver and kidneys may benefit as well by reducing the risk of disease.

4. Besides the internal benefits, coffee (black of course) is also super low in calories, has no sugar, and contains very little sodium, so this makes java a better alternative to those high calorie, fattening, sugary beverages.

5. It’s everywhere and can be made just for you. You can buy it in stores, online, local markets, fair-trade, coffee shops, even at gas stations! Whether it’s dark, light, medium, sweet or withmilk, you can make it just the way you like! So many options!

Drinking Coffee – The Bad:

1. It can be addictive. Many people feel perkier after a cup, however they can also start to get addicted to getting that caffeine fix every morning. This can be problematic, one sign of that is stopping cold turkey can equal a bad caffeine headache.

2. Coffee can negatively affect a goodnight’s sleep. Sleep is incredibly important and anything that takes away from that may not be worth it. Also be careful of sleep loss and trying to make up for that grogginess with coffee in the morning. Those especially who already suffer from sleep disorders should be careful as well.

3. Too much coffee can make you jittery.

4. It is naturally acidic so sufferers of acid reflux and those prone, might want to avoid coffee.

5. A lot of coffee is produced in countries with no minimum wage laws or (at least they are not enforced). So poor and mistreated farmers and workers are producing coffee beans but do so in tough working conditions.

So there you have it. Decide for yourself is coffee is your favorite beverage or addictive substance to ditch. Let us know your thoughts! Can you make it without coffee?